Cordless jack-box.



E. B. DILDINE & J. A. RUGH.

CORDLESS JACK BOX.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 12, 1910.

Patented Sept. 24, 1912.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT onricn.

ELLIS EUGENE DILDINE AND JAMES A. HUGH, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA,ASSIGNOBS TO SANDWICH ELEC'IQIC QOIHANY, OF SANDWICH, ILLINOIS.

oonnnnss max-Box.

' Application on Apr1l12,110. Serial No. 555,095.

To all whom it my concern.

Be it known that we, Ema EUGENE Dinnmn and James A. RUoIi,-ci'tizens ofthe United Stat s, residin at 'SUPaul, in the county of amsey an Stateof Minnesota, have invented a certain new andusefu'l Im'- provement inCordless J sick-Boxes, of which the following is a full, clear, concise,and exact description, reference being had to, the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification. I

Our invention relates to cordless jack boxes and has for its object-,t-he provisions of improved means for interconnecting various circuits.

The devices in the form shown herein comprise a plurality of jacksadapted for association with plugs to interconnect a plurality ofcircuits associated with a jack by the insertion of a plug.

We do not of course limitourselves to the embodiment of devices such asare illustrated herein, these being used-,merely for the purpose ofshowing one of'the many embodiments of the invention.

We will describe our invention more in detail by referring to theaccompanying drawing, illustrating one embodiment thereof in which-Figurel diagrammatically represents the plug and jack of our invention-Figs. 2 and 3 show different views of the full size jack and plug; Fig.4 represents a top view of a complete device; and Fig. 5 is across-sectional view hn,lines 5-5 of Fig. 2.

In the drawing we show the jack boxes 1 as more clearly set forth inFig. 4 having a plurality of jacks 2, 2, which are mounted therein andwhich are each associated with two circuits, the interconnectin devicesin the jack itself being such that w en the plug is inserted in a jack,thetwo circuits associated therewith will be connected togetherirrespective of any'apparatus connected to the plug itself.

In a diagrammatical way we illustrate in Fig. 1 the jack box 1 havin thejacks 2, each jack having associated t erewith four sprin s, the springs3, t, and the s rings 5, v6. Tie s' rings 8, 4, of all of the acks areconnecte in metallic circuit by means of the wires 7 and 8 with acentral station telephone set comprising the batteries 9, a transmitter10, switch hook l1, receiver 12 and the induction coil 13.

' The springs 5, 6 of each jack are connect.

ed to incoming lline circuits, for instance the left hand jack 2 of Fig. 1 has its springs connected to line circuit 14, comprising a pair ofwires as shown, the right hand jack of Fig. 1 having its springs 5 and 6connected to the line circuit 15. each jack is associated'with anincoming line circuit. We use a metallic plug 16, as shown more clearlyin Figs. 1, 2 and I), which plug when inserted in either jack 2 servesby means of the tip Contact 17 to interconnect springs 4 and 6 and bymeans of the sleeve contact 18 to connect springs 3 and It will thus beseen that should the plug 16 be inserted in the left hand jack 2 of Fig.1, line circuit 1 would be connected to the central station tel hone setwhereas it the plug, be inserted in the right hand jack 2, line circuit15 would be connected with the central station telephone set. In thisway a single plug is used with a plurality of: jacks, one for eachincoming circuit and the single plug by mere insertion in either jackconnects the associated line circuit with the central station signalsending and receiving devices. An advantage of this arrangement will beapparent in Fig. 1, in that we can use a plug 19 having a local batterytelephone set 20 associated therewith which can be inserted in eitherjack and thus connect to elther line circuit.

This is of advantage should the central station telephone set be outofservice or should it. be desired to have two people converse with eitherincoming line circuit. In Figs. 2 and 3 we have shown the jacks used, asthey are constructed in practice, inwhich the thimble 21 secures theangle plate 22 to the front plate 23 by hav ing screw-threadedengagement therewith as shown.

The angle late 22 corresponds in the illustration of Fig. 1 to thespring 3 as the sleeve contact 18 interconnects the s ring 5 and. theangle plate 22. This plate iolds all of the parts which in this instancecornprise a piece of insulating material 24, such as fiber upon whichthe various springs 5, 4 and 6 are mounted.

While we have herein shown and particularly described the preferredembodiment of our invention, we do not limit ourselves to the preciseconstruction and arrangement as herein set forth, but

- Having thus described our invention, what In this \vuy tral stationtelephone set to the we claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent is:

1. An apparatus of the character .described having a plurality ofinterconnecting devices each having cont-act making means connected toan independent incoming line circuit, and each having contact makingmeans all of which second means are connect-ed to a central station set,and a single plug having a plurality of concentric annular contactelements adapted for insertion in any device aforesaid and adapted byits insertion to connect the central station set to the particular linecircuit with which said device is associated, said annular contactelement forming a serial part of the completed circuit. a

QQAn apparatus of the character described having a plurality ofinterconnecting devices each having contact making means connected to anindependent incom ing line circuit, and each having contact making meansall of which second means are connected to a central stationtelephoneset, and a single plug having a plurahty of concentric annularcontact elements adapted for insertion in any device aforesaid andadapted by its insertion to connect the cenarticular line circuit withwhich said device is associated, said annular contact element forming aserial part of the completed circuit.

3. An apparatus of the character described comprising a plurality ofinterconnecting devices each having contact making means associated witha central telephone. set, a like plurality of independent line circuitsterminating in contact making means, one line circuit associated witheach device by virtue of its associated contact making means and asingle plug having a plurality of concentric annular contact elements.adapted for insertion in any device to thereby connect its associatedline circuit with.

the central telephone set, said annular contact element forming aserialpart of the completed circuit. a

4. A device of the character described comprising a plurality of jackseach having a plurality of contact making means, an independent linecircuit connected with certain contactmaking means of each jack, theremaining contact making means associated with each jack connecting sameto a central telephone set, and a single plug hay-- ing a pluralityofconoentric annular contact elements adapted when inserted in any jackto connect the line circuit associated with said jack to the centraltelephone set, x

said annularcontact element forming a serial part of the completedcircuit.

5. A device of the character described comprising a plurality of jackseach having a plurality of contact making means, anindependent linecircuit connected with certain contact making means of each jack, theremaining contact making means associated with each jack connecting sameto a central telephone set, and a single plugv havinga plurality ofconcentric annular contact elements adapted, when inserted in any jackto connectthe line circuit associated with said jack to the centraltelephone set, said plug having metallic portions for making theinterconnections aforesaid, said metallic portions serially forming partof the completed circuit.

In witness whereof, we hereunto subscribe our names this 23rd day ofMarch, A. D. 19104 I E. E.'DILDINE. JAMES A. RUGH.

Witnesses J. 'E. Coonnr, OLIVER WHALEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe (Comb-loner of Iatents, Washington. D. G.

